Tibetan

Tibetan Buddhism developed after Buddhism entered the Tibetan plateau from India and Nepal, especially from the seventh century onward. It preserves Indian Mahāyāna philosophy and the tantric systems known as Vajrayāna, alongside a rich culture of debate, translation, and monastic universities.

The tradition is often organized into major schools — Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug — with additional movements such as Bon (in its Buddhist-influenced forms), Shambhala, and Diamond Way present in the West. Shared features include guru yoga, deity practice, mantra, and the gradual path from preliminary practices (ngöndro) to advanced meditation.

Exile after 1959 carried Tibetan Buddhism worldwide. Today FPMT centers, Karma Kagyu organizations, Nyingma temples, and independent sanghas offer study and practice across North America and Europe.